This invention relates to a filtering apparatus for a wastewater treatment system and more particularly for a dual filter wherein one filter is removable from a filter housing in the filter system and another filter is integral with an outlet from the filter housing in a wastewater treatment tank.
Filters for removing particulate materials from wastewater effluent are well known. The more common commercially available filters used in the filtration of wastewater effluent include a filtering apparatus including disc-dam filter elements as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,900,084 and 3,332,552 as well as filter devices which include tubular filter elements with a series of slots extending through the tubular element as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,382,357 and 5,683,577. Filtering devices taught by these references have proven to be highly effective for removal of solid matters from fluids, and particularly for the treatment of sewage in septic tanks as well as the removal of other solid matter from liquid in wastewater treatment facilities. However, in most applications these filtering devices become plugged due to the filtering particles getting within the filter openings in the various filtering devices. Thus, these systems must be shut down for the time it takes to remove the filtering devices, clean the filtering devices, and replace them in appropriate filter housings in the treatment tank.
The present invention relates to a filtering apparatus which includes a dual filtering arrangement therein and more particularly to a filtering apparatus which includes a removable filter element and a stationary filtering element integral with an effluent outlet from a wastewater treatment tank.
An object of the present invention is to provide a filtering apparatus which includes a filter housing of T-shaped configuration having a vertically extending housing portion to receive a removable filter element therein and a horizontally extending outlet conduit portion which includes a stationarily mounted filter at the juncture of the outlet conduit portion with the filter housing portion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cylindrical removable filter element having a seal at a lower portion of the filter element extending around the outer surface of the filter element and in contacting relation with an inner surface of a vertically extending filter housing portion of a T-shaped outlet from a wastewater treatment tank.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a T-shaped outlet for a wastewater treatment tank having a vertically extending filter housing portion with a central opening extending from a bottom end to a top end and a horizontally extending conduit in flow communication with the central opening wherein a first filter element is mounted at the juncture of the horizontally extending conduit of the T-shaped outlet whereby upon removal and insertion of a second filter element into the filter housing portion, the first filter element is cleaned.
More particularly, the present invention provides a filtering apparatus for a wastewater treatment tank having a housing of T-shaped configuration. The T-shaped configured housing includes a vertically extending cylindrically elongated tubular portion having an opening in the top and an open bottom as the inlet for effluent. A horizontally extending outlet conduit portion is in flow communication with the tubular portion. At the juncture of the outlet conduit portion with the tubular portion is a first filter element which is placed over the outlet conduit at the juncture with the filter element receiving portion. A second filter element is received within the tubular portion wherein the second filter element is provided with a first flexible seal extending around the outer surface of the second filter element at a lower end, the flexible seal being engagable with an inner surface of the filter element receiving portion. Upon insertion of the second filter element into and removable from the filter element receiving portion, the flexible seal engages with and cleans the first filter element as it moves either downward or upward across the first filter element. Preferably, a second seal extends around the outer surface of the second filter element at a use location above the outlet conduit.
Examples of arrangements within the scope of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter but it will be understood that neither the drawings nor the descriptions thereof are presented by way of limitation and that other arrangements also within the scope of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter.